* LA TRAVIATA (by G.Verdi) - February 15th 2009 – 3pm
* RICHARD MARGISON – Benefit Concert – March 21st 2009 – 7:30pm
* CINDERELLA (by G.Rossini) – April 5th 2009 – 3pm

Kitchener - Opera has returned triumphantly to Centre in the Square! OPERA KITCHENER’s inaugural season opened with a beautifully staged production of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” on January 10th 2009 to rave reviews.

The next show in OPERA KITCHENER’s exciting season is the well beloved romantic opera, LA TRAVIATA by Giuseppi Verdi on Sunday February 15th at 3pm. A semi-staged concert version sung in Italian with English surtitles, it features professional soloists, orchestra and chorus. Be prepared for an evening of emotionally charged music, soaring voices and unforgettable moments. A special priced evening with all seats $25 and $35 dollars!

On March 21st, 2009, at 7:30 pm in the evening, world renowned Canadian tenor RICHARD MARGISON will be singing in a benefit concert for OPERA KITCHENER. As one of the most critically acclaimed singers on the international stage today, Canadian tenor Richard Margison is especially known for his portrayal of spinto tenor heroes in Verdi and Puccini repertoire, of which he performs in many of the world's leading opera houses and on several Juno nominated recordings. OPERA KITCHENER’s concert will feature Richard Margison singing several of these familiar opera arias and duets. Recently, the Globe and Mail wrote: "…it is an important experience to hear Margison live, simply to come into contact with the physical presence of the voice. It has both brass and beauty, and its power is so forceful and concentrated that you have to remind yourself that its source is a human throat…”
This fund-raising concert will also feature the Grand Philharmonic Choir singing famous opera choruses, with conductor Howard Dyck, and Soprano soloist Eve Rachel McLeod. This will be the music event of the year…. Don’t miss it!

Finally, to appeal to kids of all ages, OPERA KITCHENER will present CINDERELLA by Rossini. Sung in English to make it all the more accessible to children, this classic tale will be fully staged with soloists, chorus and orchestra. Comedy, memorable moments and a happy-ever-after are illustrated with Rossini’s unmistakable florid “bel canto” style of singing…. You have to hear it to believe it!

OPERA KITCHENER is owned and operated by husband and wife team Emilio and Jennifer Fina. Their mandate is to present traditional, fully-staged professional operatic productions on a yearly basis, to provide the experience only opera can bestow to the public with affordable ticket prices and to employ the talents of resident musicians and artists of the community.